My granddaughter, Abby, is 2 1/2. Her new obsessions are My Little Pony and Baby Jesus. She loves My Little Pony because “they are pretty.” She loves Jesus because “he is little.” We attribute her fascination with “pretty” with the fact that she spends her days with my nieces, ages 7 and 5, in the care of my sister-in-law. It’s a girly-girl household, full of princess dress-up clothes, Barbies and all things pink. Her love of Jesus, I suppose, has its origins in her Baptist preschool and her new awareness of Christmas.
We’re wrapping up a four-day visit with my mother-in-law, a devout Catholic whose house in Ordinary Time is a veritable shrine to the Virgin Mary. During the Christmas season, the halls are decked with no less than a dozen nativity sets. Baby Jesus reigns supreme! Yesterday, Abby packed the Ponies into her new Pony Car (a gift from Santa) to “tour” all the nativities in Odie’s living room. Along the way, “Pink Pony” became “best friends” with a wise man and a shepherd. The sheep got a ride in the Pony Car. After evicting a donkey and a camel, Pink Pony took his place by the manger to “say hi” to Baby Jesus. The adoration of My Little Pony!
Wish I could say that all this Baby Jesus love has made Abby a happy little churchgoer. Not so much. I’m sure that some day I will laugh about today’s experience at Mass, where Abby proceeded to tell everyone in the last 5 rows of Little Flower Catholic Church that she pooped her diaper and that Nana was going to change her. But it’s still a little raw at the moment!
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